Afghanistan: Lessons Learned (merged)

[boondocksaint]

Ref the message by the CDS (on Internet communications), maybe we shouldn't discuss those things publicly?

Nothing contained in the AAR's is Opsec, nor is any of the play by play commentary I've included to show human side to fighting, for the purpose of the forums I've intentionally left out any detailed mention of several things, that most people here with experience can read between the lines.

 

[HItorMiss]

Darn right we can Boondock, please keep adding them.

I have come completely to grips with my large TIC where I was wounded but I have been thinking about many of the points I want to put up when I feel ready, yours have just made me realise how important they are.

 

[boondocksaint]

Hitormiss, write what you can, when you can, for me these were the easy Tic's to talk about. There are several fights I started to write about and had to walk away from. ( for now ) Your experiences when you post them will help the next folks, and it will help you as well. Things you may have completely forgotten about, or glazed over become fresh again when you put words to paper ( or electronic document )

I also think a diversity of experiences are needed so folks have choices, I've mentioned before this is just our platoons way of working. And something your platoon did will offer a different perspective that can offer new solutions. Before going over I ( alot of us did ) read every AAR I could from the Fallujah battle, IDF Fibua tactics and old school WW2 stuff as well. This is a fresh as it gets as far as passing knowledge, as always bearing in mind Opsec.

For once their is a real chance that change can be made gained by Canadian experiences, not from someone else's armies battles. Don't pass it up, offer what you can.

 

[boondocksaint]

http://www.beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/afghanistan/2006/07/

The above link will take you to Scott Kestersons work hosted by KGW.com, a Dallas news agency. He's the photo journalist we had with our Pl for several fights and he's been in Afghanistan for the better part of a year. Last I heard from him he was going to be there for a few more months before continuing his work back home. He's embedded with ETT's and basically got our story by accident.

His writing is fancier then mine, and from an outside perspective. I generally have very little time for any reporter, but this guy would be 3 feet behind us in a fight, he even got cutoff with us in Sangin. He never intruded, or forced a conversation, or asked a bunch of questions to dig for dirt. He just lived with us, ate with us, and shared our risks.

Hopefully one day soon he'll release more of his footage.

 

[westie47]

BDS -  Good job on the AAr's. I intend to pass some of the lessons along to my troops. Maybe change training a bit. You guys did a stand-up job over there, you should be proud of yourselves. I drank with some of the boys.

 

[Link]

I've taken a lot of out these, really appreciate having them available to read, as I'm going in to the reg inf shortly.  Thanks.

Link

 

[tlg]

Thanks alot guys. These AAR's give us but a tiny glimpse of what you go through over there.

Keep em comin.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Sura LL

- When you stop at a village for a Sura ( meeting) make sure you have cut offs with the Zulu Lavs etc. In Shinkay, we had my callsign 200m down the waddie and we used the ANA as cutoff on the other side. Close protection vehicle at the time where 2 G-wagons GSK's, reason for that is because our 11 callsign was blown up.

- Try to hold the Sura as close to the veh. as possible or at least have them with eyes on and can cover u.
When the shyte went down with Capt Greene the Lav was able to fire at persons in the hilltops also the GSK's moved forward quickly and covered us with there C6's

- Hold it in a open area and something with cover. Again with Capt Greene incident, we had a good distance to the village about 200m and we where on a flat part of the waddie bank, so when we came under contact my C9 gunners dropped down and returned fire with the bank as cover.

- when the locals shown up make sure you only get the village head and maybe one or two others person at the Sura. All bystanders will be kept back at least 50m. Frisk everyone! even up there skinny legs until you touch there you know whats! Hence how an axe got through. Anyone who approaches after that gets frisked and then sent back 50m.

-Once everyone is there (IE. Pl Comdr, Cimic, and village heads) there are two soldiers as close protection for the meeting about 5m from that group the rest of the section will be either half mooned with the veh. to there backs or in all around with the Sect Comdr roaming. This worked the best when we were in Helmend doing Sura's.

-Once the Sura is finish the PL Comdr and his group move back and the rest of the Section moves to there vehicles.

make sure you brief your troops through out there Sura on where and what to do in case of contact, i think that's what helped me once we where ambushed , my guys knew where to go and what to do before it started.

Oh almost forgot and not trying to be a dink here but keep your helmets on and i am not saying this for what happened to Capt Greene, but the story i have of that day. When contact happened the medic was called and was attending to the Sir, under fire i might add very good medic, i was running around controlling my section to return fire without my helmet on, yes i know :blotto:, well my troops said i was running back and forth make sure things were covered all this time bullets were hitting everywhere. One of the my troops said to me " Hey Sarge want your helmet" with me turning to him and saying " F**k no i am to busy".Just after i said that i turned my head an a RPK burst went up this tree about 1 m in front of me. I guess you can imagine what i did next! I turned to that troop and said " Throw me my F**kin helmet"

 

[boondocksaint]

Thanks for the above comments, Panjawi report almost done.

SBD brings up a great point about Shura's, as they are an event noone really trains for in detail. They wind up being a combination of several skill sets rolled into one situation.

Lots of rubber gloves
Lots of hand sani

 

[KevinB]

Try to get Handheld "Garrett" (IIRC) metal detectors -- a lot of the Afghans are stinky folk -- and they dont appreciate the "handhold" when you search the 'junk'..

Even the "suicide vest" or explosive underwear systems have enough metal in them to set it off (okay so the detector guy gets vaporized -but the need of the many..)
  I did the week long US DOS explosives detection course -- I can offer some ideas offline to guys with a need...

 

[boondocksaint]

Panjawi

At this point most folks are reasonably familiar with that name, it is a complex environment. It is also where most of us experienced our first true combat. Up until the time our Coy/ Pl went into Panjawi we had been IED'd multiple times, VBIE'd, rocketed, RPG'd, attacked in various ways. But it was not until Panjawi we experienced prolonged combat with an enemy that didnt 'shoot and scoot'.

For our Pl it required us to evolve everyday, sometimes every hour. We entered the outer rim during the middle of the night at the beginning of the op and within 15 minutes we were in an ambush while driving to our positions. Fought through RPG fire and small arms with only 1 antennea getting hit. Upon consolidating it was decided to use another route, we were again ambushed, but this time decided to take 'their' ground from them. While this was going on, pretty much every other element involved was also fighting it out in their various areas. The sky looked like something out of the Baghdad footage from the old days. Tracer everyhwere, theirs and ours. And the blessed Boom Boom Boom of 25mm.

Being in the air hatch we would fire at targets, drop down to reload and swap out with the next guy who had just done the same. Occasionally the 'green fire hose' of RPK tracer would direct itself at us and we'd drop down fast squishing the other guys while it passed over us. Forced the TB in our area to bugger off ( the ones still alive ) and prepared to enter the town on foot at first light. We'd been fighting now for about 2-3 hours, off and on.

The Lav's provided overwatch while we would locate a feasible way for them to enter the town, clearing as we went. Found many dead TB, and drag marks and kit. As we were making our way down an outer road to link up with one of our Pl's we were hit again, near the rear of our Pl where the ANA/ETT were. They took up positions along a wall and returned fire while we moved back to their positions. Again RPG, RPK and small arms, and now a mortar.

Quickly linked up just short of the ANA with the other section comd and asked him to 'dust the rooftops' with grenades to suppress the small arms, this way I could get my guys up to the wall and help the ANA out. That is the footage from the combat camera of grenades being thrown one after another over the wall. This was the first time under contact I had to make decisions as a leader, using what I thought was a dried vineyard my sect got moving and had to cover about 50m to get to the wall where the ANA were. Quickly sank calf deep in a not so dry vineyard and sloshed our way forward taking small arms and the occasional mortar round ( not accurate, but noisy ) The RPG's that missed the wall, sailed over us, but the soft ground also helped absorb them.

Finally made it to the wall and started defining targets, and returing fire. As the lads got shooting I spent time going to each one and asking what he was engaging, firing a few rounds and making my way down the line to the next guy. Found the ETT and linked up with him, talked about the situation and targets. We decided to 'step up' the fire from both of our sections to start winning the firefight.

Winning the firefight....remember being assessed and hearing 'ok, you won the firefight and then you...'

Winning the firefight can be an ever evolving event. It's not a 'phase' or 'checkbox' and procceed to the next step. At this point our Pl WO arrived with the C-6 and added its weight. The ETT very calmly got his own RPG gunners to get ready to return fire, and I had one of my guys get his M-72 ready . Holy loud batman. Fighting is generally louder then you think it will be, but with all that firepower going at the enemy it was body shaking. Not that I wasnt shaking pretty good anyway. An incoming RPG can have quite an effect on you even when it isnt a direct hit, several hit our wall or just in front, and its....unsettling. Now it was our turn to unsettle them.

Either we scored enough hits, or hit close enough, that the enemy fire slackened dramatically. The other sect had secured one flank while the Chimo's attached to us had moved up a bit earlier and secured the other flank.  The Pl comd was coordinating the big stuff with higher right on the firing line with us, calmly describing the situation, and asking for, and getting every asset he wanted. No umpire to say 'no'.

This also has an effect on the lads, a very positive one. Anytime our arty, or CAS helps us out, it was a powerful morale booster. That's our stuff, our big toys, we have them, you (they) dont, you perk up when a minute ago you were exhausted, smiles break out, you know you will win.

You dont always know what the outcome of a fight will be, are we winning? are they? Every fight I was in had a dramatically different 'feel' or 'tone'. And during a particular fight it can change. As this was our first real fight on the ground, we were miles from experienced or savy, didnt know what to expect. All of these things do eventually dawn on you, different bullet noises, RPG noises, grenade blasts, enemy shouts and your own shouts.

We were told to pull back, let the 'big toys' finish the enemy off, grab the Lav's and go in and mop up. Broke contact, and moved back to the overwatch position. Aside from dehydration ( 0630 and 45degrees ) some sprains and hearing loss, all ok. Rebomb boys were going back in. Everyone was ready in moments.
We began to evolve.

We had survived, now we would become aggresive. We would no longer just sit behind a wall, we would push, attack, flank and get as close as we could and finish the enemy. This evolution happens to everyone. Not only did you survive, you didnt piss yourself ( much ) your friends and sect mates are with you, you defeated the enemy in a real fight, it wasnt pretty, it wasnt what you expected ( but some of it was ), but it worked. All of the little things in training paid off huge. Drills, trust, teamwork. And now some experience, not alot, but enough to start pushing back hard.

Our first day in Panjawi our PL had 5 TIC's. I dont remember sleeping or eating, or needing to, I just remember being with my friends doing what I'd trained my whole career to do.

As always these are the experiences I had with my Pl. Not doctrine, or the gospel on how to fight a battle. I realize after writing this one it was more of what was going on in my head then how the fight was fought. Maybe that will help the next guy going over.

 

[GAP]

Maybe that will help the next guy going over.

And it will. You have put into writing in a clear coherent way, what every body thinks and does. Not exactly, but you have grabbed and displayed the essence of being there.

Like you said, every TIC is different, but the essence remains the same. That "big picture" of what is happening, where it is happening and what needs to happen next become clear as a bell. Thank you, you just brought back the feeling of contact I haven't felt in 30+ years, and I found I missed it.

 

[boondocksaint]

GAP- thank you.

Panjawi- evolving

Later that same morning we began moving back into our previous contact site. This time we brought the Lav's. Bear in mind this was all new to us, and we were still feeling things out. The debate about fighting vehicles in MOUT/FIBUA has raged for ages. We managed to find ways to make it work for us. Winning the firefight became a bit easier.

Having cleared several hundred metres of road, compounds and terrain our PL took up positions along a wall for a breather. While resting and rehydrating one of the C-9 gunners beside me was avidly watching something in his scope and not breathing, I asked him what was wrong. I think I see Taliban.

WHERE? Immediatly the entire Pl was on their feet scoping the indicated area about 125m away. He'd spotted a Taliban with an RPK moving into a firing position along a rubbled wall. Confirmed, open fire lads. The entire Pl fired, at about the exact same moment, so did the Taliban, and his other concealed friends. The RPK gunner went down, but his weapon was grabbed by another TB, moved and set up again. It began firing at the wall inbetween our C-6 gunner and myself. Time for a new position. In one of the Panjawi vid's you can hear our WO telling us to watch our flank, moved the lads down to the flank while the PL shook out, and the ANA as well shook out.

Here is where the Lav goes to work. Calmly, systematically destroying enemy positions. I had the left flank with my guys, and the WO set up the C-6 in a place of vantage. We were taking fire from several rooftops about 125m away, as well as the wall. After linking up with him we decided we could try to flank their position. The American ETT had previously warned us that several of his friends had been killed and wounded less then 150m from our position months earlier in a trap. With this in mind we started our movement clearing as we went. Our PL comd was already coordinating arty, the ETT was going from ANA to ANA and correcting his firing stance as Scott Kesterson said 'like a school teacher'. Imagine controlling your section in a firefight, now add an interpreter.

We'd made it about 30m up the flank when an RPK opened up on our position. They had us bracketed fast, and our cover was being torn apart.  They knew the area and had been prepared. Unlike training you dont always get to the objective the first time.

Back up boys, timmie has this covered.
Kudos to timmie.

At about this time, our other Pl on our flank intercepted and destroyed several Taliban trying to get our flank. They also evolve.

We made our way back to the flank corner with the WO, drop the boys in firing positions, and then go over to the closest Lav. Once briefed on the exact target area, he destroyed it effectively. It's nearing noon, and the heat is brutal, you find a water bottle in your hand without noticing you've pulled one out. Crew comd's are tossing boxes of water off in the middle of the fight for us. We've been fighting for close to an hour this time and the word comes down ' impact in 15 seconds!'

We get low, but are still too curious about the target effects not to watch the rounds come in. On target . On target again, and again. Target destroyed, God bless the guns. This was one of those fights that actually ended with a bang, sometimes they just fizzle out.

After securing the area, our other PL searched the enemy positions, several dead, and several more blood trails. On one of the rooftops a destroyed mortar position is located, the one who'd earlier given us more hearing loss.  One of the Panjawi vid's shows us walking their positions the next day, and pointing out ours.

Our feeling of accomplishment is quickly shattered when a soldier in another Coy 400m from ours is killed. One of our friends from our Coy is wounded in the hand by an enemy grenade trying to clear resistance. He is a sect comd and goes in every door first, not to be a hero. But because he doesnt want harm to come to any of his guys. This is wildly common, noone wants to lose one of their men, and you find yourself taking alot of the 'hard spots' yourself without realizing it. The most agonizing decisions I made in contact were having to send my boys into a spot if I wasnt in a position to do this myself. You have to do it, you cant do it all yourself. And your boys dont want you to.

Our PL comd did it
Our WO did it
The Lav crews would drive in front of you and suck up damage when they knew you were being pounded.
The ANA also proved their bravery under fire for us more then once, as did their ETT.
The lowest Pte's also did it, going to the 'hard spot' on his own so that noone else would have to.


As a history geek, I've often read accounts of Civil war soldiers hiding behind a single tree, ten in a row. This may have less to do with cover, then it has to do with the sense of security you get from being next to a buddy. I've seen guys leave their own ample cover and run through fire to get to a friend for no other reason then to share their security. Guys will instinctively 'scooch' over next to each other under heavy fire, must be that nesting thing.

As always, this is not the holy grail of fighting, tactics or doctrine. Just some experiences that hopefully help someone in the future.

 

[patrick666]

Boondock, thank you.

Keep them coming.

 

[boondocksaint]

Hyderabad

If you've read Scott Kesterson's reports about Hyderabad, or seen the video, you have a good idea of what went on. I'll fill in some other spots.

Our Pl was given a task in coordination with Recce to check out some compounds on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Recce moved in during the night on foot, to get some 'eyes on'. Then we were to move in and check things out, a sect of chimo's were attached as per normal. As we moved up to our staging area we dropped the ramps for a last nervous pee, and a hasty breakfast of beefjerky, stale chips and some weird type of soda. It was that time of morning when it's still dark, but you can see quite far, that's when the tracer started flying.

We were about 500m away and could see green tracer ( bad ) and red tracer ( good ) streaking at each other, as well as the distinct rattle of small arms and RPG's. Recce was in it. On the radio speaker we heard their Pl comd give a quick sitrep, very calm, but it amplified the background noise of batte. We ramped up and looked at our own Pl comd's Lav. Another sitrep from Recce, things are not good, heavily outnumbered, need help now, our Pl comd points to the town and our lead Lav gets moving.

Alot of us in our Pl have known the guys in Recce for 5-10-15 years, and knowing they were in trouble lent a real sense of emergency to an already bad situation. We took small arms on our approach but did a 'thunder run' into town and broke into Recce's encircled area. They had about 12 dismounts ( IIRC ) and had been fighting an estimated 40ish taliban. Aggresive taliban. That was one of the first things I noticed when the ramp dropped. They were pushing us. We now had several Tic's under our belts, we had confidence, some experience, high morale, and a feeling that noone could beat us. But very quickly in this fight we realized these taliban were very tough, aggresive and well armed.

I knew my Pl comd was in the turret, so I was looking for the WO when a buddy from Recce ran through fire to link up with us. In the video you can hear him yell ' compound 75m', off we went. The taliban compounds and positions were on the other side of a high berm that ran along the banks of a steep and deep waterway/creek. Gained the top of the berm, and commenced firing at groups of taliban about 50m away. We had the height advantage and could look down into their compounds in some spots, and started hitting them hard. A couple of minutes into it, some of our Lav's, including the Chimo Lav moved up carefully since the fields were heavily irrigated. Once in position they started pounding the enemy as well. On this side of the field, timmie was dying or running.

I wanted to get into the compounds to clear them, but had no way to cross the water, so I grabbed the lads and started off towards the only bridge about 100m away. At this point I realized the C-6 team and some other members of the Pl were coming with us. It happens, it's dark, loud and confusing, just make sure you know who has attached themselves to you. Then you can pass it down at some point, that everyone's accounted for.

One of our Lav's was on the bridge creeping forward pounding a compound that was giving us trouble, a couple of grenades were tossed at us and we all hit the dirt. I happened to do this on a bare road, realized my stupidity and started cursing. Also caught on video for posterity. Elements of Recce were still up forward and we fought our way up next to them. Together we redoubled our fire and started to take the fight to the enemy hard. The enemy would not go away. I yelled for the closest Lav to move up so we could get behind it ( tank ) and assault the compound that was shooting at us. Jammed cannon.

While the gunner was clearing the cannon, we kept up a high rate of fire, advancing as much as we could. Boom Boom Boom he's back in action and off we go. One of my boys prep's a grenade and slams it into the window where we've been getting shot at from. Boom. I spray the room. Room clear. We need to get around the side of the compound to get into it, and that's where the heavy enemy fire is coming from. Everything is on fire, smoke is burning our eyes, but it does provide us some cover. Around the corner Im about to head into what I thought would be one doorway, theres about 3 immediate doors, heavy fire coming from one. Back up! Back up! too many rooms.

My favorite fragger was out of grenades so I get him to fire on the doors while I get my grenades ready. Boom Boom, get up, spray room, room clear. We also used the Lav to knock in some walls when it seemed prudent. The ANA and ETT are also fighting hard and pushing quickly under heavy fire.  Enemy fire is starting to dwindle off now. They are using ditches along the fields as cover and appear to be pulling back, when we are told to pull back, there may be a plan for arty. Now we break contact, Recce out first , then the rest of us, crammed into our Lav's. Good job boys.

Moved back about 200m, still in town, and started re-bombing,10 minutes later got word to head back in on foot, vehicles in close support. Came under contact again, our lead Lav caught an RPG team trying to set up and destroyed them. Resistance broke quickly after that and we cleared the remainder of the area without much further fighting.

Now the chimo's went into their primary role, while we helped where we could, and secured the area.
Lots of bodies, trails and weapons, and alot of black tar heroin. No wonder they fought so hard. During the fight one of the Recce guys was hit in the armour, it saved his life.

We had fought for over an hour, at times the enemy showed great resolve and a determination to drive us off. These guys in particular were very tough, they moved aggresively and fought hard. Later, back in the leaguer we found we had an even tighter bond with the guys in Recce. We had other fights ahead of us, Sangin , Gorak and others, but that bond with Recce would prove invaluable when we went back to Panjawi on Aug 3rd.

Again, these are the experiences we had, not TTP's or SOP's on conducting a fight.

 

[Infanteer]

During the fight one of the Recce guys was hit in the armour, it saved his life.

This isn't the first time I've seen this; many AAR's coming from Iraq and Afghan state ALWAYS wear your IPE.  It may be "nice" of a leader to allow guys to doff it in the heat, but it doesn't do anyone favours when there is a sudden TIC (to use the new mot du jour).

BDS, I have a question.  In your experience, was there a difference in the enemy.  It is just generic "Taliban" in the media, but when you guys went over the scenes of fights, did you find that the enemy varied from fight to fight.  Maybe some Pashtun Taliban here, or some foreign Jihadis there.  If so, was there a difference in the quality and/or approaches to fighting of different groups of bad guys?

 

[boondocksaint]

Within moments of contact, you get an impression of the quality and quantity of the enemy. Different regions had different fighters. Without getting into detail, there are confirmed cases of various 'jihadists' from many different places.

In Hyderabad those particular fighters were on the higher end of taliban we fought. Of course they were defending ALOT of recently harvested black tar heroin. Which by the way, we had know idea about before the fight. If im timmie taliban and I lose $XXXX amount of drugs to the Canadians, he's probably in some doo doo. Hence he fought very hard. And was well armed.

Age and leadership played a role as well. The older guys, some Mujahdeen era fighters, were very aggresive. Their entire adult life has been combat of one form or another. While the younger guys would stand in the middle of a field or road and shoot from the hip, an older guy would have very advanced fire positions and tactics.

We practice against stationary non active targets. Experienced taliban actively seek your flank or other weak spot and move to exploit it. He does not sit idly by waiting for you to root him out. When we clear trenches in Wainwright the Fig 11's convienently stay in their hole, timmie does not. This was hard to get used to, but the more experienced we became, the quicker we were to develop the battlefield and get to work before he did. Take away his options, make him do what you want him to, then destroy him. He is very actively trying to do this to you.

One of the things some of us noticed was ' fighting to their level'. By this I mean that if the enemy was firing 30 rds a minute at us, we'd slow our fire down. If he stopped firing RPG's we stopped firing M-72's. That wins you no fights. If he stepped up his fire, so did we. Cancel that. YOU set the tempo. We corrected that with experience.

For every fight we made it through, we gained knowledge and experience. They do the same, when the fight us and live, they now have knowledge and experience. Hence why the American general we met told us ' kill them really dead the first time, then you wont have to fight that same guy again'.

IPE is crucial, life saving. You cant wear it all the time in a state of 'hyper vigilance', troops will burn out. There are places you wear it all the time, and there are places you can set it within arms reach in order to relax. Choose wisely. We wore it up mountains, in contact with 65 degree heat and everything inbetween, get used to it in training, it'll save your life.

 

[kerfuffled]

Boondocksaint, awesome posts, my heart swells with pride at you fine Canadian lads. God bless.
Am right this minute cracking a beer in your honour.

 

[gaspasser]

BDS, I must say that your thread is quite the eye opener into the hearts and minds of our soldiers.  Your stories are well told and much appreciated.  It is with sunken heart that I will never meet "men" of your calibre, except to recieve them home on the Airbus.
There is always an open beer on my table.

GP 

 

[warchild]

Very well done on all AAR's and points to look at for later training.  Hopefully this will be noticed and as the CO said "It is a sect comd fight".  Let's hope that the dist list will be big and we can finally get away from "RANGISM"S and "WATCISM".  Along with that,  now that the door is open to the military community it would be great if these hard lessons learned are actually thought of for the future implimentation into training.